'Make flyers pay tax for pollution'

Airline passengers who travel at the most popular times should pay a new congestion charge to offset damage to the environment, according to new plans drawn up by a government think-tank

By Lynn Robson

12:01AM BST 06 Sep 2003

Airline passengers who travel at the most popular times should pay a new congestion charge to offset damage to the environment, according to new plans drawn up by a government think-tank.

If approved, the proposals from the Commission for Integrated Travel could lead to departure tax being doubled. Currently travellers pay between £5 and £20 per one-way trip, depending on the length of flight and seat class.

Airlines in Britain pay £800 million a year to compensate for the environmental damage aircraft cause. The commission says that figure could be increased to £1.4bn by introducing congestion charges on mid-morning or early-evening flights.

Professor David Begg, chairman of the commission, said: "What we are proposing is nothing short of a radical reform to make operators and passengers confront the environmental consequences of their actions."

The commission's proposals will be considered by the Department for Transport in December. A spokeswoman for British Airways said: "Passengers are already taxed enough."